As Maine Democrats scramble to replace Platner, party director says the 'grassroots energy … needs to find a home'
The Maine Democratic Party is rushing to select a new Senate candidate following the withdrawal of Graham Platner amid sexual assault allegations. Party officials are organizing a convention to ensure a transparent replacement process before the July 27 deadline.
Why it matters
The outcome of this Senate race is critical for determining control of the US Senate, making the candidate selection process a matter of national political significance.
As the Maine Democratic Party scrambles to recover from the collapsed Senate campaign of Graham Platner , at the state party headquarters the phone hasn’t stopped ringing for 31-year-old Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson and her small team -- along with a growing army of unpaid volunteers.
They‘re facing uncharted political waters since Platner withdrew from the election last week in the race against Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins while continuing to deny an allegation of sexual assault that derailed his candidacy.
The party is now building a candidate selection process from scratch in a race that could decide which party controls the Senate.
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